Smugglers Use Own Children to Hide Unaccompanied Minor, Say Feds

Border Patrol agents stopped an attempt by human smugglers to sneak a five-year-old unaccompanied minor through an immigration checkpoint in South Texas. They reportedly hid the child in with their own U.S. citizen children to disguise the effort.

Border Patrol agents assigned to the Falfurrias immigration checkpoint observed a vehicle approaching for inspection. During an interview, agents became suspicious and began questioning the driver and three other adults in the vehicle, according to Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol officials.

Agents questioned the four U.S. citizen adults and the four children who were riding in the vehicle. The adults claimed the children were all theirs and citizens. Agents eventually determined that one of the birth certificates was for another U.S. citizen child and the female passenger was a 5-year-old Mexican national.

The agents arrested all four of the U.S. adults on charges of human smuggling. The agents turned the three U.S. citizen children over to an uninvolved family member.

Officials said the Mexican girl will be processed according to RGV Sector protocols.

Agents from Homeland Security Investigations will take over the investigation of the case, officials stated.

The Falfurrias Border Patrol Immigration Checkpoint is located in Brooks County, Texas, about 80 miles from the U.S.-Mexico Border.